Research In Motion (RIM) said Monday that it will offer a version of its BlackBerry Connect software that will enable older Palm OS devices to access always-on e-mail.

Specifically, the company said it was working with Palm OS vendor PalmSource to make the software available in the aftermarket for existing Palm devices. The companies previously announced that BlackBerry support was being built into the latest version of the Palm OS.

The move drew strong support from Verizon Wireless and Sprint, which said that they would offer expanded support for BlackBerry-enabled devices.

"Sprint is looking forward to making the BlackBerry service available on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network later this year," Tim Donahue, Sprint Business Solutions' vice president for enterprise marketing said in a statement.

RIM said it would provide information about pricing and availability later.